In October 2024, Camille was referred to me by a longstanding client. When we arranged a date and time, she enquired whether I owned or used the Sharman‑Caselli Tarot. Regrettably, I could not oblige.
Her question, however, stirred a number of memories. When I first embarked upon my Tarot studies, books on the subject were not nearly as accessible as they are today. There was no Amazon, and the local bookshop did not stock anything that might be classed as “Occult” (late 1980s).
One of the earliest volumes I encountered was The Complete Book of Tarot1 by Juliet Sharman‑Burke. She later collaborated with Liz Greene on the Mythic Tarot—an old and trusted companion. Although I never adopted her card significations, I was intrigued by her preferred three‑part reading method outlined in The Complete Book of Tarot. For a time, I followed her structured approach, but I also experimented: three Stars, three Celtic Crosses, beginning with the Greater Arcana, then the Lesser, and finally a reading using both.
More than thirty years later, I still appreciate the loose structure this provides. I often begin a Tarot consultation with an astrological wheel using only the Greater Arcana, and I have long felt that the Celtic Cross reveals itself most elegantly when read solely with the Lesser Arcana.
With these recollections stirred, I elected to use Sharman‑Burke’s three‑stage method for Camille: first, a Celtic Cross with the Lesser Arcana; second, a Star spread with the Greater; and finally, a five‑card Horseshoe using the full deck.
I do not own many Tarot decks: the Noblet and Dodal tarots, a mini Grimaud TdM, the Tarocco Soprafino, Visconti-Sforza, the Albano‑Waite, the Thomson‑Leng, the Prediction Tarot, Renaissance Tarot (Brian Williams), and the Rolla Nordic Tarot. For clients, I generally favour either the Noblet, Grimaud (due to their size), Soprafino or the Albano‑Waite. On this occasion, however, I used my BOTA Tarot.
The BOTA Tarot
The Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) Tarot, designed under the direction of Paul Foster Case, is a lineal descendant of the Golden Dawn tradition and was created expressly as a vehicle for meditative and initiatory work. The deck is issued in black‑and‑white outline, intended to be coloured by the student according to Case’s precise attributions. My own copy is self‑coloured, following the traditional schema. When reading with it, I employ the significations for the Lesser Arcana given in Book T, which Case himself regarded as authoritative. This lends the deck a clarity and directness that I find particularly effective in structured readings such as the Celtic Cross.
I have, over recent years, coloured three BOTA decks. The version used for Camille’s reading adheres faithfully to Case’s prescribed colour scheme, which I have always found both coherent and aesthetically satisfying. The colouring itself proved a most pleasurable exercise; I completed the Greater Arcana at a pace of one card per week, allowing each image to settle, deepen, and reveal its character as the colours were applied.
Case’s work also provided the foundation for Frankie Albano’s re‑colouring of Pamela Colman‑Smith’s designs. Albano followed Case’s chromatic principles closely, producing a deck of remarkable vibrancy. I have always preferred the Albano‑Waite to the various other iterations of the Waite‑Smith tradition; its colours possess a coherence and luminosity that render the imagery far more intelligible in practice.
The Celtic Cross
The Celtic Cross exists in several variations. Over the years, I have experimented with different forms, but I find the version outlined by Waite perfectly serviceable. You will observe, however, that I do not read it sequentially.
Reading
Camille has a classic earth (melancholic) temperament: short, lean, quiet, and reserved. For this reason, the Queen of Pentacles was used as the Questioner card. She faces left, and cards five and six of the Celtic Cross were dealt to the right and left respectively.
Camille posed no specific question. Experience has shown that when no question is asked, the first two cards will establish the topic. Here, we find the Three of Pentacles (card one, this covers you) and the Two of Swords (card two, this crosses you).
In the Golden Dawn system, these suits belong to opposing elements (earth and air). Followed by three Swords (air) cards, the Three of Pentacles (earth) is “undignified.”
Camille is eager to progress in her life and build upon the foundations she has laid (Three of Pentacles: building up, gain in commercial transactions, rank). Yet circumstances—being undignified—are currently frustrating, with little room for manoeuvre or support (Two of Swords).
From the cards, we may reasonably deduce that this pertains to Camille’s employment (Three of Pentacles: paid work). Traditionally, the Two of Swords indicates lingering tension after a quarrel, but more commonly it signifies a stalemate in which one must accept that one is neither influential nor likely to prevail. There is a strong indication that Camille is not in a position of advantage.
Turning to cards four (beneath) and five (behind), we see the cause of the tension.
Camille had previously been successful and took genuine pleasure in the satisfaction and material rewards her career afforded (Card 5: Nine of Cups). With the Nine of Cups, matters often come easily.
More recently, however, she was unsuccessful in securing advancement or a salary increase (Card 4: Five of Swords). Book T2 gives both “defeat” and “failure” for the Five of Swords, but also “a contest finished and decided against the person.” Looking across the spread, I felt Camille had applied for a higher position—the contest—and had been rejected as too inexperienced or insufficiently performing.
Card three (this crowns you) is the Eight of Swords. As matters stand, Camille will not find it easy to break out of her current position, with no immediate options on the horizon.
Yet all is not lost. In the future position, the Two of Pentacles promises an agreeable change in her circumstances.
The seventh card signifies the Questioner and how she influences the situation. Here we find the King of Wands. A Royal Arcana card may be read in two ways: as traits the Questioner possesses or requires, or as a person who may guide her. Both apply. Camille is a strong, independent, and capable woman; although her confidence has been dented, she must not lose sight of her abilities. These are qualities admired by the King, who is a just and generous benefactor to those he believes in. He will be able to guide Camille towards the best opportunities. In light of the Two of Pentacles, this is a friend of hers.
Card eight is the Queen of Swords, a woman in Camille’s environment. A keen observer, she will assess Camille’s performance and manner swiftly and decisively. Camille will not be granted the luxury of a second impression; she must be at her best from the outset.
The ninth card, the Ace of Pentacles, reveals Camille’s hopes and fears. Some Tarot readers interpret a negative card here as the Questioner’s fears and a positive card as their hopes. I read the card as both: what we hope for, we fear being denied; what we fear, we hope to avert. Camille hopes to advance in her career, securing her financial stability and material aspirations. She fears that failure to do so will leave her without the options and protection she desires.
The Seven of Wands is an interesting outcome card: it promises possible success, but not without challenge. Camille needs to dig deep and show her mettle.
If Camille can regain her footing, she will discover that the restrictions and obstacles (Eight of Swords) can be overcome with effort and tenacity. The Seven is never an effortless victory, but with the proper mindset and support (King of Wands, Two of Pentacles), her goals may indeed be realised.
In summary, I told Camille that she had suffered a setback in her career progression, and that this had left her confidence rather bruised. The cards showed that a positive change would come—the Two of Pentacles indicating an eventual shift in circumstances—but that it would not be immediate. Her present challenge lay in not appearing defeated or a poor loser (Eight of Swords, Five of Swords). If she can dust herself off and apply herself wholeheartedly to an upcoming project, the Seven of Wands shows that success is well within reach.
As we concluded, Camille confided that she had recently applied for the team‑leader position on her current assignment. The role had been awarded to a more experienced external candidate, and Camille felt acutely embarrassed—particularly as the successful applicant would now be her manager. This had prompted her to search, rather desperately, for a new position elsewhere. I reiterated the message of the cards and drew her attention once more to the Queen of Swords: the new manager would, in fact, prove a valuable ally, but she is a woman who forms her judgements swiftly and tends to keep to them. First impressions, therefore, would matter greatly.
Pointing to the Two of Pentacles, I advised Camille that matters would begin to improve around Christmas. The Queen of Pentacles—her significator—faces the Two of Pentacles, a card traditionally associated with the first decan of Capricorn, and thus with that period of the year. It suggested that the shift she longed for would emerge as the year turned, provided she maintained her composure and prepared herself to meet the opportunity when it arrived.
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- Sharman-Burke, J. (1985) The Complete Book of Tarot. London: Pan. ↩︎
- Regardie, I. (1989) The Golden Dawn: An account of the teachings, rites, and ceremonies of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (Stella Matutina): A complete course in practical ceremonial magic. Saint Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications. ↩︎
Journal of a Cartomante 